If you stand close to it, you will go up on the evolutionary scale.

Here's the new phone I got for Christmas. After receiving it, I considered tossing a bone into the air to see if it would turn into a space ship. I love it. Along with the phone, I got a cold for Christmas. Cold Ease lozenges are my new favorite snacks because I really don't want to be sick for the rest of the holidays.

While visiting with friends, I had the opportunity to play Guitar Hero. I did pretty well on the "Easy" setting. I conquered "Kool Thing," "La Grange," and "Barracuda." But, as soon as I had to toss in that pinkie finger on the "Medium" setting, I tanked big time. I made up for it playing bass on "Sabotage."

I had to work on Friday so thankfully missed the early riser sales. I did swing over to Wal-Mart this weekend. I try to avoid Wally World at all costs, but my boss got me a gift certificate there as a present so I was a bit stuck. Somehow, and I still don't know how this got there in the first place, I found the 2 disc director's cut of Zodiac on DVD for $5! Seriously. I am as confused as you are, but I snatched it up right away. I watched about half of it last night listening to the audio commentary featuring James Ellroy. He is insane, but very funny.

And, speaking of movies. Here is my annual Faves list. The best of list will wait till Oscar season since several movies haven't made it to the sticks yet.

**MISH'S FAVE MOVIES OF 2008**
1. The Fall--The most visually interesting movie of the year as far as I'm concerned. Read about it here.

1. The Dark Knight--Brilliant, twisted, troubled and funny in a macabre sort of way. Fave part: the pencil trick that lets you know just how unforgivably and unsympathetically insane the Joker is.

2. WALL*E and Kung Fu Panda. Each of these movies showed just how beautiful and emotionally resonant animation can be. The folks behind WALL*E deserve some sort of award. They gave real character and depth to inanimate objects. Relying on sound design and truly smart storytelling, you followed the story and cared about the little robots (and the buddy cockroach). Made me cry. As did, Kung Fu Panda. Again, beautiful animation plus smart writing that elevated a pretty recognizable storyline. Great voice work by Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman.

3. In Bruges--Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star in a deeper than you think it's going to be "comedy" about two hitmen hiding out in Bruges. Farrell really shines and I'm sure it doesn't hurt that he has Gleeson, who is always great, to play off of. It got lost in the shuffle (bad release time frame, bad promotion--it's not a rollicking comedy), but it really stood out.

4. Iron Man and Wanted. Go here and here. Highlight moment of Wanted: Wesley hits his "best friend" with his keyboard at work and as the keys, and a tooth, fly by the screen we get the words "Fuck you" spelled out. HA!

5. Doomsday--This movie is completely insane. It's part Mad Max, part medieval action movie, part sci-fi; it's all over the place, but this is a very good thing. Directed by the same guy who gave us the super creepy cool movie, The Descent, Doomsday runs over and through almost every genre, but still comes out with its own voice. It has its own rulebook, but it follows those rules which keeps it from becoming a hodge podge of "I'm not sure what I want" sort of moments. Very entertaining.

6. Quantum of Solace. Short recap here.

7. Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Go here.

8. Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day. Light, frothy, and brimming with great actors and smart writing. Francis McDormand, Lee Pace, Cirand Hinds, and Amy Adams make this a true pleasure to watch.

9. Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Get your Ford on here.

10. Mamma Mia, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Penelope. Mamma Mia is just fun. Nick and Norah made me love Michael Cera even more and Penelope had James McAvoy with shaggy hair. Nuff said.

Side note moment: Best use of gratuitous partial nudity combined with soap and water in a movie--Hugh Jackman cleaning up towards the beginning of Australia. It's overdone on purpose, but as a straight gal I want to thank Baz for going over the top.

To check out in '09:
Slumdog Millionaire, Waltz With Bashir, Happy Go Lucky, Benjamin Button, Rachael Getting Married, The Wrestler, Tell No One, and Frost/Nixon.

Whoosh. That was long. Next time, music. Run away now.

Follow That Fat Man!

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

Go Santa go!

Merry Christmas.

Icing, but no cake

Here is what I woke up to this morning. Whee, ice. Half an inch of ice actually. This tree is right outside my bedroom window. I planned ahead yesterday and brought my work laptop home. I grabbed a few files so I'd have something to do today if I couldn't get in to the office.

It took 20 min. to get the ice off of my front and rear windshields. I decided to see if I could get the laptop to play nice with my internet connection. I checked emails and as soon as I saw one of the other sales assistants who lives out this way was working from home I made up my mind to do the same.

It worked out I only had about 3 1/2 hrs. worth of work to do. Oops. Not sure how this is going to be adjusted down the road. Will I need to work through lunches for 4 or so days to make up my time? Will anyone care? I don't know that we were exceptionally busy today. A lot of places didn't even have electricity around here so the chances we got bombarded with jobs, etc. today are sort of slim. Still feel a little guilty though.

Here are a couple of other photos.




I just missed getting a photo of a raccoon walking along the edge of the sidewalk in front of the abandoned gas station across the street.

Office Party: The Wrap Up

Well, I didn't win the TV. I was at the table with the guy who did win the TV so I got spritzed with his happiness as it were. He and his wife were quite lucky the whole night. They each had won a prize before he got the flat screen.

I did win a gift certificate to a local Italian restaurant! I think I will either save it for my birthday in a couple of months, or I'll use it one day when I'm craving pasta and low on cash.

There were all sorts of ways to win the prizes. Most were random drawings, like my g.c. "game." We did have a couple of trivia contests. The theme this year was advertising. Our table did okay, but we didn't win. The table full of people who cheated by looking up things on-line with their phones won! Bastards.

There was one game of physical skill. A putting game was being given away and everyone got to take 5 putts. I kept hitting the ball too hard, practically banking it in. I attempted by best Bill Murray ( "a Cinderella story..."). Apparently, my best Bill Murray isn't that great because no one got the Caddyshack reference. Or, horrors of horrors, perhaps the people nearby hadn't seen Caddyshack! I will have to fix that and soon.

I also tried being clever with my name tag. I wrote my actual name on it, but followed with the phrase "or MR. TIBBS!" Nothing. Zip. Only a few people asked why I wrote that and when I said "They call me MR. TIBBS!" I still got nothing. Sigh. I'm not sure that option #2 of "Ishmael" would have gone over much better.

I was hoping to sit next to my friend who recommended me for this job, but her table filled up almost immediately. I wandered around for a bit and thankfully the wife of one of my sales reps took pity on me and invited me to join them. I ended up eating with my two reps, their wives and the guy who hired me and his wife. Dinner was great; my prime rib virtually melted in my mouth.

Overall, it was a nice night. The food was great. I probably should have mingled more, but I'm not very good at that. I won a prize. One sort of downer happened after dinner. After the service awards were handed out, our boss introduced all the new people. Before he started going down the list, he said "I always forget someone when I do this..."

I think you can guess what happened.

My name was near the staple on the second of two sheets and was hidden. Or that's what his story was. The sort of ironic bit was I was sitting at his table eating with him. He'd been in the general vicinity of my person for the last hour. He was going through the names alphabetically so I knew right away that I was the one he was skipping. When he finished up, the rest of the table got his attention and pointed out he'd forgotten me. There was a quick OH CRAP sort of moment. The one benefit of the moment was it didn't get pointed out that I was there alone.

When he was reading names off, he'd follow up by saying what department the person was in and add that they were there with their husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend. So, while the people I don't see everyday may not know where I work exactly ('cuz he skipped that part), they also don't know I was a loser and came by myself.

Keep your fingers crossed that we have decent enough weather that I can finish my shopping. I've never been this far behind before. Hope the rest of you are having better luck. Later kids.

Holiday Cheer

Heard some guys talking about this on ESPN radio. Holiday music with some Toto tossed in for fun.

Lost and found

I FOUND MY SCARF!!!

Little bastard was hiding in a drawer that I hadn't checked because I normally don't stick cold weather items in there. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Still, I was quite happy and we have been reunited.

We've already started getting gifts at work. The party is tomorrow night, but this afternoon our corporate office gift arrived. It is...drum roll please...

A box of assorted cheeses.

Tah-dah! Our corporate office is in LaCrosse, WI...natch.

It was amusing when our office leader poked his head into my room and told me I needed to "go grab something from the box of cheese" before it was all gone. As a U of I grad, I couldn't in good conscience snag the cheese in the shape of Wisconsin's "W" so I went with the dill cheddar chunk instead.

On another "lost" note, I picked up season 4 of Lost on dvd and continue to be impressed by how much they put into these things. The menu screens always look amazing. The transitions between those screens and what you've selected to watch are smooth. And, the extras are usually quite good. I re-watched The Shape of Things To Come the other night so I could enjoy me some Michael Emerson. Fabbo.

Hopefully I'll have a post party wrap up on either Sun. or Mon. Have a good weekend!

This, That, bit of The Other

Everyone has probably already heard about the BCS "declaring" Germany the winner of WW2, but just in case you haven't check out the link. I was laughing out loud in my car when Bob & Tom were talking about it.

It's not everyday that something happens in your corner of the world which results in the lead story on The Daily Show.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Rod Blagojevich Is a Jagoff

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

My workplace Christmas party is this Sat. night and I have nothing to wear. I attempted to go shopping for something new on Mon. evening. It was, of course, crowded at the mall which didn't help my state of mind. I hit 4 stores to no avail. In this tiny spot in my head I hold this thought that I'm going to find that one shirt, sweater, whatever that will transform my person. It never happens though. Everything is either too small, too frumpy, too disturbing (really, who the hell believes that woman in the 16+ size category crave horrid animal prints), or just the wrong color. Apparently clothes can only be in one of three shades that change every few months. Arrgh.

Also on the bummer note--it looks like one of my favorite shows, Pushing Daisies, is getting the axe after the 13th episode. I shouldn't be surprised that one of the best shows out there is being dumped. I saw a promo after tonight's episode for a new ABC show about Homeland Security cops, or whatever they would be called. Just what we need, another low cost reality show. Wee. This world is messed up.

Missing

Take a minute and look to your left. Now, to your right. Have you seen my scarf? My favorite scarf has gone AWOL. I am very sad about this state of affairs. My scarf is sort of a cross between Walgreen's cheap chic (which was where I got it and it was cheap) and a shorter Doctor Who style scarf. I fondly remember buying it with Jinn; she got one just like it, though I don't think she wore it as much as I wore mine. I know I had it last winter so it should be here somewhere. I checked with my other winter items, but considering my other items were in three different locations I guess I should not be surprised that I can't find the damn thing.

The first blasts of snow have landed in my neck of the woods. It took me 90 min. to get to work on Mon. Normally the drive lasts about 30 or so. There was an accident near the exit I take and traffic was backed up about 3 or 4 miles. It took me almost 40 min. to do those miles! On the way home I spotted the remnants of another accident...lots of tracks in the snow and in the ditch...wait for it...a refrigerator. You heard me. A fridge with one squished up end was laying in the ditch. Hopefully it just fell off the back of a truck and rolled to its final resting place.

Coming soon the always expected and possibly dreaded Best of '08 lists. Run away, run away!

Editing with a less than speedy connection

Found a link to a site where you can try your hand at editing a Radiohead "video." My connection is not super fast so I couldn't see the video real well. Check out my work.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I JUST CLICKED ON THE LITTLE BOX BELOW AND YOU GO TO THE SITE, WHICH IS IN JAPANESE. HAVEN'T YET FIGURED OUT HOW TO ACTUALLY WATCH THE VIDEO I MADE. WHEN I DO, I WILL LET YOU KNOW.

If you would like to do your own go here.

changed again

Alright, just a few minutes in and the loss of the nav bar bothered me enough that I changed the template again. It's going to take a few tries to get it right. Stay with me.

Return of The Jedi

Okay, so I may not be a Jedi...yet...but I am back on line. My new modem was delivered by the UPS driver that I knew from the book store! It was a bit weird seeing Dave after all these months. It was recently pointed out to me that I haven't been blogging much lately, not counting the service issues. Honestly, I think this is because I don't have as much to bitch about anymore.

Strange how it is difficult to write about happy things. Not that I can't do it. I've written essay length emails recounting concerts before. I'm just not sure I'm as funny with the happy as I am with the horribly, horribly strange and wrong. Guess we'll just have to see.

I was on a mission to get my presents wrapped and cards addressed this weekend. I'm fairly close to succeeding; still need to look up a couple of street names. Then I have to knuckle down and write the letters. I am desperately trying to preserve the art of the written letter. Not to suggest what I write qualifies as "art," but I at least want to keep the beauty of seeing someone's handwriting alive. I can get very sentimental about this sort of thing. I still have a note from my first boyfriend (Marty in 8th grade) where he mostly writes about that night's upcoming basketball game. Not very romantic, but I kept it because not only did he write on the page, but his best friend, Casey, did as well. Casey was the one who called me during Christmas break to tell me that Marty wanted to break up with me...loser (that would be Marty, not Casey). I also find the poor spelling rather amusing.

Do people even write love letters anymore? I've never gotten another one. I suppose it's all gotten lost in the world of texting. Just a few bits of the alphabet here and there, almost as though we have regressed to the grunts and howls following our first steps out of the ooze. If you've written a love letter or gotten one in the last few years let me know. I'm curious.

Hope everyone had a good and filling Turkey Day. I'll make an effort to be a better blogger.

GO DUKE!!--they are playing Purdue on Tues.

Also, what do you think of the new layout? I like it, although I wish I could change the color of the text at the top. It sort of disappears into the picture. Opinions are welcomed.

It never fails...

Seems I will not be surfing at home until next Friday at the earliest. After repeated phone calls and a visit from a tech to confirm I even had a signal coming to my house, it was discovered that my modem (which I'd been told earlier was fine) is the issue. It is still under warranty so I'm getting a new one sent in the mail--just in time for the holiday to mess up delivery schedules. Figures.

Tossed on the photo of David Tennant because I recently saw a blurb that he is leaving Doctor Who after this next run of specials. He has been amazing as The Doctor and it'll be sad to see him go. I'm not sure much can top last season's combo of David and Catherine Tate. Fabulous actor with the added bonus of fabulous hair.

Enjoy turkey day--I'm still debating as to whether or not I feel like moving all my DVD's to make room for my Christmas tree. Stay safe and travel well.

Still down for the count

Hey gang.

I'm still working on getting my internet back up at home. It's a slow day so far at work so I figured I'd update really quickly.

Went and saw the following:
Quantum of Solace: B+ Due to the nature of the story, this one isn't as witty or charming as Casino Royale. That being said it is still a solid Bond movie. The action set pieces are very intense and Daniel Craig is lovely as ever.

Twilight: C I've read the series and if you are interested in checking them out I'll give you this thought. Stop after the first one. The movie is okay. The photography is great and Edward is awfully pretty (though when he bugs his eyes out it gets a bit weird). The story moves slowly and I don't think you get a real sense of the push and pull between the characters. It was amusing the hear the teen age girls in the audience react to certain scenes.

Bolt: B Went a friend and her kids to see this and I'm almost scared to admit I enjoyed it. The movie isn't on par with the two big (and amazing) animated movies of this year, Kung Fu Panda and WALL*E, but it is really quite enjoyable. The story, while predictable, is not so cliche that adults will be bored with it. The voice work is quite good, esp. Mittens the cat and Rhino the hamster who pretty much steals the movie for me. The animation looks cinematic, esp. in the action sequences involving the tv show that Bolt stars in. This is definitely a family film that all ages can enjoy.

Keep your fingers crossed that I'll be up and running internet wise soon. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Man down...

Or rather, internet down. I haven't had access at home for 3 days now and haven't had time to get it fixed. Here's a quick thing to watch until I get my life together.

One of my co-workers found these. They are silly and make a bit more sense if you live in HVAC world, but they are fun none the less.

The Romance Of Porn

Sure there is nudity ("Jay" full frontal if you are interested). Sure there is crass humor (and a poo joke that really could have been left out). But, like a candy made by a deranged person, there is a gooey center to Zack and Miri Make A Porno. Our title characters are down on their luck thanks, in part, to questionable Amazon.com purchases. They go to their high school reunion for the same reason I went to some of mine...to mock people. After a funny encounter between Miri and her high school crush, she and Zack leave and go to a bar to ponder their current situation. An off hand comment later and the plan to make a porno to earn some cash has been born. Romantic complications ensue.

It's all pretty decent Kevin Smith stuff. And like all decent Kevin Smith stuff, there is sweetness just under the surface. The main characters are instantly likable. Elizabeth Banks is definitely the pretty girl you like to like and Seth Rogan has perfected the vulnerable guy beneath the snark genre. The pair work well together and their big moment in the two movies (the one we are really watching and the porno they are "making") is actually quite romantic and touching.
The plot will in no way stress your brain and some bits do lag, but on the whole the movie is really enjoyable and worth checking out.

Also saw Changeling with Angelina Jolie last weekend. It moves a tad slow and like Return of the King it seems like it ends about 5 times. But, the story is compelling and Jolie uses her experience as a mom to bring a nice depth to the role...though I got really tired of hearing the phrase "he's not my son" about a million times.

As is obvious by my lack of blogging, it's been a busy week. One of the local school districts is revamping several buildings so there have been lots of jobs to bid. I had two due on Tues. and another two due this Wed. Of course, I didn't find out about the two due on Wed. till the other assistant asked about them. Surprise--they were mine to work on and I hadn't been told yet. ARRRGHHH!!! I've discovered one of my reps seems to think he tells me things when he actually hasn't. The other rep sounds grouchy no matter what he is saying. It's taken some time getting used to the way things are there.

I stayed up late on Tues. to watch Obama's speech in Chicago. It was another example of just how great a speaker he is. I appreciated how respectful the crowd was when he talked about McCain. This behaviour was in contrast to the McCain crowd who frickin' booed during the Obama references. Not sure how true all the former McCain folk talk about Palin is, but it doesn't seem that far out there. The idea that she can't name the countries in NAFTA and doesn't know Africa is a continent fall right in line with some of the other things she's said. Who knows. Back to Chicago, who was that chubby white guy Oprah was squished up against? I'm thinking someone who works for Harpo. I'm just glad Obama kept the celebs at bay for his speech. Don't know how I would have felt seeing Brad Pitt gadding about on stage.

Boo.

I think last year I rated my favorite horror movies. This year I'll talk about t.v.

I love the month of October as far as television goes. Everyone and their brother does some sort of haunted fill in the blank type show. Plus, you have the fun of watching edited for tv horror movies.

Here's what I recommend:

Ghost Hunters on SCI-FI. What I like best about this show is the relationship between the two heads of TAPS, Jay and Grant. Jay can be really cranky, but Grant is sweet as can be which creates a great balance. I also appreciate that they are looking to disprove a haunting rather than instantly justify the claims of the client...but they are nice about it.

Most Haunted on the Travel Channel. A British import, this show makes me laugh out loud. The host, Yvette (sp?) thinks everything she hears is someone trying to contact us from the spirit world. I don't know how she hears anything because she is constantly talking. She must ask for "a sign of your presence" four or five times in a sentence. If I were a ghost, I'd probably toss something at her in hopes that she would shut up long enough for me to speak. Or boo as the case may be.

Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel. This is new this fall and so far it makes me think of an American version of Most Haunted. They waste almost half the show talking about what the claims are. Then the 3 guys are locked into the site (in one episode, they had to install locks on the outside of the door so they would be legitimately locked in) for the night. The main host, Zac, spends a lot of time yelling and about as much time saying dude. It's funny.

Paranormal State on A&E. Bunch of college kids gadding about. Think the Goth AV Club. The stories can be interesting, but most of the time nothing happens. Their resident psychic creeps me out and Ryan, their leader, gets a little too serious in his voice overs. Still, there have been some bizarre moments and just this past week they did an episode on a young woman from Quincy, IL who needed an exorcism.

Keep an eye out for Ghost Hunters Live on Friday night! Save me some candy.

Moving the bus

Extreme Home Makeover has been in the area building a new house for a family whose son suffers from brittle bone disease. They are in the midst of moving the bus as I type. The show should air sometime in Dec. or Jan. You can check it out here.

HP trailer to tide you over

I'm killing time waiting for a rep to get off the phone so I can ask a question. Found this international trailer for HP 6. I think it looks really good--the funny bit at the end had me chuckling aloud. Sorry this is short, but he's off the phone. BYE!

getting your money's worth?

Piper Palin and her (or is it Mom's?) Louis V. bag.




Sarah Palin before she got the call.

While gadding about, I found this write up about the RNC's attempts to dress up the pitbull. It seems like just yesterday that people were yammering about expensive haircuts. Not the most important issue in the campaign, but it fills the time and it's a moderately interesting side note.

when the pretty birds have flown, honey I'm still free

I wish I would have had seats this good when I was in college. After visiting my former college haunt, seeing what college folk look like now, and staying up past midnight 2 nights in a row, I can officially state...I am freakin' tired and I look it. I swear every college person we passed that evening looked like they were 12. The route to and from Assembly Hall took me past almost every apartment and dorm I lived in while in C-U...which I of course pointed out to Jinn.

"I lived in this apartment building the summer between my freshman and soph year...and there's the dumpster that was under my bedroom window. I got woke up really early every Thurs." "That's where the serial rapist ran into the glass enclosure around the stairwell right next to our apartment--we heard the thud when he hit it before he ran off." Ahhh...memories.

The Bulls/Jazz game took a bit to get rolling. Lots of sloppy play in the first half. Plenty of unfinished runs to the basket, missed passes, and just general silliness. Things were much improved in the 2nd half. Both Derron Williams and Derrick Rose are amazing to watch. There were several times I had to look up at the instant replay because I couldn't believe the pass that each of them made.

Could have done with out the Luv-a-Bulls. I'm not sure this game was worth a costume change mid-way through. The first ensemble featured the word "Bulls" in bright red letters on the lame excuse for shorts. Oh, you want me to look at your ass? Thanks for clearing that up for me...I couldn't figure that out from your gyrating hips and thrusting pelvises (or is that pelvi?).

Saturday night brought Mamma Mia. Having seen the movie, I already knew what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by just how strong the woman playing Donna was--she had a great voice and was a solid actress. The guy playing her ex "Sam" looked a lot like David Hyde Pierce. According to the playbill, he portrayed "Electricity" in the propane tv ads! His singing was strong as well.

One of my sales reps is a new dad as of Sunday. His daughter wasn't expected until the end of this week. He's going to be out most of this week so it may be a bit of a rough one for me. I'll either be confused a lot or I'll be bored. He sent out an email with pictures Sun. afternoon and forgot to tell us they'd had a girl! He kept referring to her as "the baby" or "new arrival." They have yet to choose a name. At one point he was saying he wanted to name a girl Camero. I told him he should just buy the pole now if he was going to do that.

Finally, I watched the SNL bits with Sarah Palin and they were so-so. Tina Fey was funny as usual, but Palin, Lorne Michaels, and Alec Baldwin's stuff dragged. I got really focused on watching their eyes shift from the cue cards to half glancing at each other. It didn't even seem as if Alec was talking to Palin. Perhaps he was afraid his eyes would be burned beyond repair if he stared into the face of Satan for too long...

Saving lives Bee Gee's style

Who knew? According to this article, doing CPR to "Stayin' Alive" gives you the almost perfect beat. Kooky.


Was it just me or did McCain look a bit pissy during the debate last night. I was flipping over during commercial breaks while watching Ghost Hunters. My crush on Grant will not be abated.


Looking forward to a big weekend. Friday night will be Bulls vs. Jazz in Champaign. Half court, lower bowl seats. ROCK! Too bad the Bulls have not been doing well in the pre-season.


Sat. brings Mamma Mia. Normally, I avoid musicals at all costs, but I loves me the ABBA and it gives me a chance to hang with Teresa.


Finally today is Jinn's last day at the bookstore. Cheer out loud for a moment in honor of her years of excellent service. On to poker!!

When the cat's away...

Yes, once again, sales reps are out of the office and Disney just got back from an appointment. I'm waiting for someone to assign me something to do. So far this morning I have checked email, changed some things around in my Netflix queue and watched a couple of Arctic Monkeys live videos on YouTube. I also found this performance from The Duke Spirit. I love this band. The lead singer has a sort of PJ Harvey/Debbie Harry thing going. I appreciate their enthusiasm even though they are playing for cameras...and Henry Rollins. Enjoy.

Freeeeeeeeeedommmmmm!!!!

Back when I was contemplating leaving my job at the bookstore, I would often talk about it with Jinn (coolest co-worker in the world). Our plan, at the time, was to leave at the same time. We always hoped it would be the same day.

Well, it ended up not being the same day, but at least we got it to be the same year.

JINN IS FREE!!! Or will be by next week. I don't want to tell her story for her. But, I will say that the incompetence of the management staff in reference to two different events ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back.

It's baffling to me how someone can remain in charge when their own actions create situations that virtually force the best employees to leave. As you can tell, I still have issues with the store and some of the people there. But, with Jinn's leaving, I will get one step closer to letting it all go. Now we just need to get about 4 other people to leave.

On an unrelated note-- is it just me, or does Sarah Palin never move the upper half of her face...unless she's winking? Her "aww shucks" style of speaking makes me want to smack her. The interview with Katie Couric was a joke. She couldn't name any newspaper or magazine that she reads? Seriously? Was she afraid of offending voters with her answer? Does she not read (that's my vote)? Can she not think on her feet? Did the Republican Party tell her what she can and can't answer (and considering how little she is speaking to the press--yet the party is bitching that the press are picking on her--this could be possible)?

Jon Stewart has been brilliant the last few weeks covering the candidates and his recap of the Couric interview is amazing.

lame attempt at vandalism

Okay, before I get to the vandalism bit, let's talk about Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

I should start by mentioning that I love Michael Cera. He is perfect in Arrested Development. I think, though, it is time that Michael follow in John Cusack's footsteps and move into playing someone not in high school. N&N would be a good place to leave that personae behind.

Covering the span of one evening, we follow heartbroken Nick and unsatisfied Norah as they meet, fall for each other, get annoyed with each other, and fall back into each other. There is lots of driving around New York City and various ex's, friends, and puking scenes.

I could do without the puking scenes, but overall I really enjoyed the movie. Nick and Norah are cool without being too cool. I could easily relate to their shared love of music and following them around with a great soundtrack was a bonus.

Nothing about the movie is mind or soul altering, but there is a fun quality to this above average romantic comedy. Norah's drunk friend provides most of the laughs and there are a couple of really sweet scenes between Nick and Norah that are worth checking out.

On to vandalism. When I left the theater, I was in the "afterglow" if you will and just a few parking spaces from my car was this big ass redneck type truck. It was way the hell up on its tires. On each side of the truck was an inscription that read "Lift Your Truck...Fat Girls Can't Jump." GRRRRRR.

I was so annoyed that I went to the side of the truck not facing the entrance to the theater and considered keying the door. Instead, I made a little scratch on some of the lettering. Nothing major, but I felt slightly better.

Oops. Lunch break is done. Gotta go!

Is this me?

One of the blog folk I check out is a friend of a friend--galaxie carol. Anyway, she had a little project for her readers to do and it involved doing Flickr searches for answers to her questions and creating a mosaic about yourself. Here's mine.


1. All a Blur, 2. Crab Rangoon, 3. February 05, 2008, 4. When Waves Collide, 5. James McAvoy kilted, 6. Organic Milk, 7. Its a Dream - Bath, England, 8. 14th August 2007 / Day 226, 9. House of Flying Dagger, 10. for a minute there, i lost myself, 11. A Dog's Best Friend, 12. the cupcake girls

The questions were 1) name, 2) fave food, 3) high school, 4)fave color, 5) celebrity crush, 6) fave drink, 7)dream vacation, 8) fave dessert, 9) what do you want to be when you grow up, 10) love most in life, 11) one word to describe you, 12) Flickr name. And just so I can clarify some of the answers. #5 is James McAvoy, though sadly you can't see his face the way this was cropped. #9 is movie director, #10 is music--esp. Radiohead, #11 is loyal and #12 is mish. Weird eh?

Not quite the secret garden, but close

It has taken some adjusting on my part to get used to my hour long lunch. At the bookstore, I got 30 min. and if you didn't bring you lunch, the actual eating time after buying food usually got squished to around 15 min. Now, I often find myself with time on my hands. I go out for a walk when the weather allows and I have on the right shoes.

During one walk, I discovered a blacktopped trail at the end of the street. I went a little further each day and it never seemed to end. Turns out this path is part of the Rock Island Trail and is connected to a solar system project as well. Seems that Peoria has re-created a scale replica of the solar system and this path falls into Jupiter's orbit.

I don't know if anyone else at work knows about the "hidden" treasure behind us. I think I almost like it better if it's my secret.

Fall Frenzy

Here are the views of the street in front of my home. As you can see, a solid line of cars in each direction. Yesterday was the first day of the Spoon River Drive. Or, as I sometimes refer to it, "lots of crap for sale with grilled pork chop sandwiches." The idea is to drive from city to city along the Spoon River and look through booths, etc. of crafts. Depending on which location you go to, you can find some pretty decent handmade items, or things that appear to have just been removed from a dumpster. Still, if it is nice out like it was yesterday and you live really close to one of the stops like I do, it's fun to get out and walk around. I did pick up a few things and enjoyed a kick ass baked potato for lunch. It all comes back tomorrow and next weekend. Now I gotta go get me some candied almonds before the booth goes away.

Updates soon

Hi all. Don't hate me. I promise to update this weekend. I have a discovery to share, but I need to take photos. Also, I need to watch the VP debate. I was going back and forth between it and the Cubs/Dodgers game. Also, the every popular Spoon River Drive is this weekend and I may take photos then too.

More soon. Oh, and I promise to update the songs. I don't have my password at work and I keep forgetting to do it at home. Urgh.

Fun at the Fair

This year's model.





Here they are together.

Gotta love the 70's wallpaper. As you can see, I snagged another art piece. It was perfect weather for being outside looking at beautiful things. This year myself and Jinn participated in an art project. The promotional artwork for the fair is divided into squares then you are given a numbered tile and a section of the artwork. You then paint your version of the section you are given. All the pieces are put together like a giant puzzle. I thought Jinn and I did well considering we had crappy brushes. I even got to use my fingers because I couldn't get my brush to make a good circle.

Speaking of art, I rented an amazing movie last night. The Fall is the latest movie from Tarsem, the same director behind some cool music videos (including R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion") and the film The Cell. It tells the story of Roy, a stunt man from the '20's, who is recovering from a stunt gone wrong. He's stuck in a hospital and befriends a young girl who is there thanks to a severely broken arm. Roy entertains Alexandria by telling her a story, eventually using the story as a bribe to get her to help him.

Much like del Torro, Jeunet, and Tim Burton, Tarsem has a stunning visual style that is just this side of surreal. In the hospital, the film is grounded with a sense of whimsy, but as Roy tells his story, the visual landscape changes into something even more beautiful and breathtaking. He deftly handles both the fable and the real story.

Lee Pace, from Pushing Daisies, filmed this before the television show hit the airwaves. He is a real pleasure to watch in many ways. His acting has a very genuine feel to it. 6 yr. old Catinca Untaru plays Alexandria astonishingly well. I believe this is her first stab at acting. I swear she gets some of the funniest lines. Her character is charming without being annoying; she comes across very much like a child you know and love, not like a kid created for a film.

Just rent it, okay?

Elvis has left the building

I am the only one here. Well, not counting a rouge service tech that is. Everyone else has gone out for lunch. Because I don't have a key, the last one to go had to lock the front door because my office is too far away to hear if anyone were to come in.

I feel like I should be downloading porn or something. Perhaps I should rummage through some desks? Nah. That would be too evil.

And speaking of evil, a study was recently done on some Facebook users and guess what, they are narcissistic. Hmmmm....I remember contemplating such an idea when I first started this blog. Here's the article if you want to read it. http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080926/sc_livescience/facebookprofilesoutnarcissists

I'm waiting for my bank to crumble. Thank goodness I finally started a couple of IRA's for my retirement over the last two years. Perhaps it would have been better to store my cash under my bed. Did you catch Bush's tv address? I guess it was all the fault of people wanting money to buy homes. Apparently, those willing to loan too much and too easily and then go all willie nillie with the cash had less to do with the current crisis than I thought. I wonder if Canada has these issues? I do have a current passport, though I'm guessing the HVAC market up there isn't very strong.

This weekend brings the local Art Fair on the riverfront, which is thankfully no longer under water. Perhaps I'll take the camera. I'll be picking up another piece of art. I'm considering it my post surgery gift to myself. Probably safer to put my money there as anywhere else these days.

5 Reasons to Ignore Reality TV

I'd like to make a recommendation to the Emmy folks. Let Ricky Gervais host. Seriously. Or how about Craig Ferguson (sp)? Or a random person off the street. Anyone, but who we had last night. If you have seriously unfunny people trying to be funny it just ends up being painful. The minutes lost with the "nothing" opening could have been better used elsewhere.

Say, for instance, they could have been given to the poor guy who won for writing the John Adams mini-series and got cut off just as he was talking about the importance of having a leader who can use words and language properly.

I didn't think the show could get worse than last year's strange theater in the round show. I was proven wrong. The hosts were awful. The Laugh In reunion bit was horridly unfunny and made me further believe that you really needed to be stoned to enjoy that show. Normally I don't advocate random beatings, but I think I'd enjoy it if someone smacked Lauren whatever from The Hills upside the head. Could poor David Boreanz (sp) look more awkward? Bad enough Heidi Klum called his show "The Bones."

There were a few bright spots. As mentioned earlier, Gervais was the funnest guy of the evening. I'm not sure how Steve Carrell kept a straight face during their bit. Once again, the "nominees are" bit for the best writing for a comedy, variety, etc. show were a highlight. Seeing Stephen Colbert in boxers wielding a gun was funny, Dr. Phil's slams of Letterman's staff was a good use of Phil's personality and the SNL group using their Wii characters was on the mark as well. Stewart and Conan's bits were good too.

Stewart and Colbert were fun, both in their presentations and acceptance speeches. Craig F's gag in regards to his hand being on Brooke Shield's ass was a hoot. Don Rickels and Kathy Griffin virtually stole the show. I also liked Tommy Smothers getting political while being honored for writing for a politically charged show. Tina Fey is a goddess, gracious and very funny.

I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about Josh Groban's performance. I give him bonus points for his version of the South Park theme and for faux jogging while singing the theme to Baywatch. Overall though, the idea of a theme montage done by a classical singer can only be funny for so long. I think the funny dried up before the medley ended...which isn't Groban's fault.

In a sad statement of my exsistence, the Emmy's won out over 60 Minutes featuring the presidental candidates. What can I say, I needed to see Lee Pace in a tux. I did tape 60 Min. and will hopefully get to it before Nov.

And speaking of Lost...

Last week saw the debut of the new J.J. Abrams show, Fringe. After just one episode, but an extended one at that, I'd say I'm definitely interested enough to keep watching. I'm a bit concerned though that I was most impressed with the way they did the graphics telling you where you were. For example, often when a show changes location, some text will appear in a bottom corner of the screen saying "Blah Blah City, Blah." On this show, we get some very David Fincher type effects with the text being rather large and very much in the shot. Sometimes, the camera moved through it, sometimes over it, etc. It looked really freakin' cool.

The show revolves around an FBI agent who, by the end of the first episode, is forming her own sort of task force to use "fringe" science to investigate certain crimes. There's a nasty sort of corporation and something called The Pattern that we will be concerning ourselves with down the line. Joshua Jackson (Pacey from Dawson's Creek) makes his tv return and is pretty watchable.

I'm curious to see what the show does with the premise. Abrams has said it's not The X-Files, but the influence is there. It's filmed really well and the action sequences look great. For the most part, the story and characters work. But, it was obvious in the first episode that one character had to exit to make way for the requisite romantic tension between Jackson's character and the female lead. And, Jackson's dad is a bit off so some of the humor could wander into annoying comic relief if not watched.

My only other concern revolves around just how much disbelief you need to let go of to watch. Seemingly, the show is somewhat set in the present. I have no problem with the idea that there are medical and technological advances around that most people don't know about. But, in a show where we are going to be asked to work with "fringe" concepts, the reality needs to be really grounded. And, showing us a woman with a replacement limb with fake skin, that when the skin is peeled off reveals a metallic, Terminator-esque arm and hand covered in a see through layer of clear "muscle" in a completely "Oh, I see you've noticed my crazy ass arm" sort of way sort of pulls me out of the show and into a sort of groan moment. I think they could have left that reveal until a few episodes in, especially since that chick has something to do with The Pattern.

I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. There aren't too many shows to get excited about this season, which means I might actually read more. Now there's a thought.

Reading directions is good.

I once again fell prey to my desire for fun. I noticed Target had the Lost PC game on clearance at 50% off. Sweet, I think. I scan the system requirements quickly and as far as I can tell I am set. Oops. I get it home. Open it and install it. It tells me, hey, your video card is not quite what you need. Hell, I think. I'll just keep going.

Guess what...it's hard to play when you can't see anything.

I looked online to see how much the correct video card costs. Almost 5 times as much as I paid for the game. ARRGHHH!!! I think I may have to scan ebay and see what I can find.

Reminder:
Pushing Daisies comes out tomorrow on DVD. YEAH! And, mark your calendars for the Biden-Palin debate--Oct. 2.

fumbling through the world of medical bills

Hey- do you have United Health Care? Have you recently gotten blood and/or urine tests done at the hospital? Did UHC not pay a dime? Was your hospital "in-network?"

Guess what--as a part of the RAP Clause, you can re-submit your claim and because it was done at a preferred hospital they should pay some or all of it.

Of course, no one tells you that from UHC. You have to do what I did, call the people charging me and ask about discrepencies in the bill. After about 10 min. of confusing conversation, the lady was nice enough to tell me about RAP and hopefully I won't have to pay for this stuff.

We'll know in 3-5 business days.

Killing some trees

During my lunch break, I was checking out NPR's site getting info on the podcast they did for the last Radiohead concert of this tour (I've gushed about it previously). While on the site, I clicked on to a story about a letter apparently written by someone who is from Sarah Palin's hometown. I decided to print the letter and read it another time. I innocently hit print and exit the site, returning to work.



The printer it went to is right outside my office so I hear it start to whir and I hear a sheet print. Then another. Then another. Then another. Then another. Then several more.



Okay, I think. I know the letter wasn't that long. I go out to see what's up and notice that the first page says "1 of 300." HOLY CRAP!!! 300?! Seriously? Seems I should have just printed the pages of the letter as opposed to the whole thing that included about 1400 comments.



I quickly accessed the printer and cancelled the rest of the job. Sadly, about 100 pages had printed already. Thank goodness we recycle.

Work and then home.

Our retro vending machine.




My new chair...

Heading home...

My friend Teresa and I did a diorama of this house for History Fair in Jr. High. It was a part of the Underground Railroad. We went to State with our project. The new owners put a really stupid looking top floor onto the house. Makes me sad every time I drive by.


Not an unfamiliar sight...here's me flipping off the chick who tailgated me for about 5 miles.

something quick

I heard a good interview with one of the guys from a website that fact checks the candidates...all of them...equally as much as I can tell. The site is pretty cool. I especially like the flame action around the "pants on fire" logo.

http://politifact.org/truth-o-meter/

Do you think she'll get the Spears' family vote?

So. Sarah Palin.

I saw a quick, funny bit...I think it was on Headline News...done by Jeannie Most (sp) from CNN. She hit the streets with a sheet of paper that just had Palin's name on it and began asking people who she was. It wasn't surprising to see, at that time, not many people knew about her. In fact, one passerby was asked who McCain's running mate was and they answered "Obama?" to which Jeannie responded with a chuckle and a comment along the lines of "that'd be interesting."

Driving home yesterday, NPR did a good piece on what Palin has been doing in Alaska. There was praise for being willing to work with Democrats to charge oil companies more money for drilling in order to fill up the state's coffers. There was also general praise for her efforts in regards to getting rid of a lot of fluff created by the prior Gov.

But, the prior Gov. was one of the least popular in Alaska's history. Palin based most of her campaign on the fact that she wasn't that guy. She spent most of her efforts on the oil and gas issues that she hasn't really done much else. I believe she is in favor of drilling in the National Parks in Alaska. Seems pretty pro-oil to me. In a move that makes her more of a recognized politician than a "maverick," she has apparently given the go ahead for plans/money for her hometown, but has rejected similar plans for other towns. She hasn't done much in the way of budget reform because she hasn't had to...they have a surplus. Not much pressure on you when you have cash to cover expenses and more. She's anti-choice even in cases of incest, rape, etc. She's against gay marriage (though, I understand she did sign a bill that favored same sex couples getting the same sort of benefits, etc. as married couples...somehow I doubt she actually initiated that plan). Traditional Republican anyone?

It sounds like Palin has enough political savvy to make the decisions she needs to make to keep her at the top. Which pretty much sounds like every other politician. So far, she doesn't sound like much of a renegade. She's just someone not many people have heard of so she appears to be an outsider.

I didn't hear her speech last night (too busy watching Bones), but I did print out a transcript to look over and it seems like half her speech was about McCain and half about her. I guess you can learn a lot about someone over the course of a couple of phone calls and meetings.

In the end, I'm concerned that Palin is going to appeal to every "hockey Mom" who is a little feisty (is it just me, or does she have the potential to come across as a less Satanic, brunette Ann Coulter? not enough crazy going at this point I suppose...) , doesn't have time to keep up on current events, has an underage pregnant kid (or knows someone who does) and will vote for her rather than voting for the President . She made several references to being from a small town and "knowing" these people. Well, I'm from a small town and I "know" her. She's not getting my vote.

yet more Radiohead video

This past Thursday Radiohead performed their last show of the U.S. tour. You all know that I had to miss the St. Louis show because it was less than a week after my surgery. The boys sort of made up for it by webcasting their last show and playing my absolute favorite song "Lucky."



The look of the video isn't spectacular, but that's because I believe it's what was being shot to be shown on the big screens behind them during the show. What it lacks in visuals, it more than makes up for in heart-achingly lovely music. Hope you like it.

Had the first non-lunch social gathering with the folks at work this weekend. Got to meet all the wives and I'm pleased to report that they all seemed nice and easy to talk to. I played with some of the kids. It's amazing how two 2 yr. olds and one 40 yr. old can get the same level of enjoyment out of blowing bubbles and chasing them in the yard. I played "socco" (?) with the two sales reps and the general manager. Think horseshoes with bean bags and a board with a hole in it. Me and general manager got creamed, but it was fun. The food was good, the weather fine, even though fire was involved (we made smores at the end of the evening) no one was injured...always a plus. BUT, Disney didn't bother to introduce me to her hubby while I was standing in a group of people she was introducing. Ermmm...okay. Last time I try to entertain your kid to get him to be less whiny.

So, how about that VP pick from Grandpa? When I saw that on Friday, my first thought was "this could be interesting." I just hope anyone who was on the fence as far as being Republican or Democrat and was going to vote for Hillary just to get a woman in the White House will not go leaping over to the McC camp. We don't just need a woman in the White House; we need the right woman in the White House.

Enjoy your Labor Day--I'll be at a cook out.

And to think, I have a college degree...

I'll get to the photo in a second. First, I'll recount a quick story.

The other day I decided I wanted a BLT. I'd gotten some garden fresh tomatoes and I thought what the hell. I knew I didn't have any bacon so I picked some up at the store.

When it came time to actually think about making the sandwich, I realized that I was out of bread. And lettuce. So, because I was too lazy to go to the store again I just fried up some bacon, sliced my tomato, laid the bacon over the slices, drizzled on some mayo and off I went. Tah-dah. It was actually just fine as it was.

Off to the right you are seeing my new favorite thing. BBC America is running a sci-fi series called Primeval that's about a rip in the time/space yada yada that is letting in prehistoric creatures. Said creatures cad about and the adorable Douglas Henshall has to go find 'em. It's only 3 episodes in and so far it's doing pretty well. Sometimes the SFX don't quite blend in with the live action stuff, but it's not that jarring. Check it out if you get the chance.

I've watched a little bit of the DNC. My problem with those conventions revolves around the whole pep rally gone awry feel they give off. Did anyone really think that Hil-dog or Willy were going to diss Obama? It's all about party unity at this point, which is fine. And, maybe the Clintons really have decided that they truly want to support Obama for being Obama and not just for being a Democrat. Don't get me wrong, I'm diggin' Obama so far. I just think in this day and age everything is so choreographed thanks in part to the media. It gets more and more difficult to feel really optimistic. Instead, I usually look at events with a cynical eye and wonder what they aren't telling me.

Work is okay. At the old job, frustration was born out of no communication and annoying fellow employees. New job-- the frustration is born out of working on a project then finding out another person already did it...or offering to help my fellow new person and she doesn't give me all the info so I end up repeating tasks she's already done, but hadn't noted down. I just don't enjoy wasting my time when I could be doing something productive. Hopefully we will get the kinks worked out soon.

And, hopefully I will be blogging more. Sorry I'm so evil.

Enjoy Labor Day!

almost forgot

Strangely felt the need to add something to my re-cap of The Clone Wars.

Jabba The Hut's uncle had the worst Southern accent. He came across like an old time lawyer. I kept expecting him to bust out into a white suit with suspenders. That or turn into a cartoon rooster.

Like a Replacements' song

"Unsatisfied." I think that was the theme of the day. It was another sit around and wait for something to do sort of day at work. I think I need to have a chat with the general manager when he gets back tomorrow about how exactly I'm going to be assigned jobs to do.

Rep #1 kept giving tasks to the other new girl. I think I need to designate a name for her. Perhaps Disney. Yeah. I was going to go for Snow White, but I think Disney works.

Anyway, Disney kept getting little tasks all day long. I hoping this due to the fact that her office is right across the hall from Rep #1 so it's easy for him to just pop over there. Rep #2 was playing catch up from his on the road day yesterday. I did spend the morning asking the questions I needed to ask on the project I'd started on Wed. I got finished right around lunch time after revising my work 3 times. Went to lunch feeling pretty good. Was gonna practice AHU's right after lunch except...

Disney went on an errand run till about 1:30. Okay. I got back from lunch. Checked my email, sent a few emails, check movie showtimes. She gets back and she has little projects to do. Okay. I go through some of my notes from the last few weeks. Then I go back online. Check to see if the NIN site has posted any pic's from last night's show in St. Louis that I missed.

Around 2:15 I decide, fuck it, I'm going to work on the AHU's by myself. The plans we are supposed to look at are flippin' huge and in the conference room so I'm walking back and forth trying to make sense of what I'm looking at. Nothing is making sense. Every time I check, both rep's are on the phone so I have no one to pose questions to at this time. Around 3:30, I get a couple of questions answered and I start to dive in. Finally around 4, Disney swings by my office and says we don't have time to set up in back so maybe we should just work on our own. Fine. She then proceeds to call back to my office every once in awhile to ask me a question.

I spent about 4 hours doing almost nothing. Definitely need to find out if I'm supposed to go trolling for work or are they supposed to come to me. Hope tomorrow is better.

Feeling unsatisfied was also part of the crux of the new Woody Allen film I went to see after work tonight. Vicky Cristina Barcelona stars Scarlett Johansson, Rebbeca Hall and Javier Bardem. Cristina and Vicky have been friends since college and go to Spain together to hang out for a couple of months. Rough I know. While there, they chance to see Juan at an art gallery. Cristina is immediately struck and it works out that they see him later while out to dinner. He walks up to their table and invites them to join him for a weekend of good food, great wine, beautiful vistas and oh, yeah, sex.

Vicky, the pragmatic one, is both amused and appalled by his offer. She is engaged and even if she wasn't, she tells him, this sort of offer from a complete stranger is not for her. Cristina, who has a more "romantic" view of love (pain is always involved), accepts the offer easily. And, even though she argued against going, the next thing you know the three are heading out for the weekend.

Thus begins our story. How does it end you may be asking? Well, I think it's inaccurate to say the movie really ends. We just sort of leave the characters to continue living their lives. Through this relatively brief inter-twining of their lives, the characters share experiences that you'd think would change their lives. But, that doesn't seem to happen. I walked out of the movie with the impression that whether you live your life looking for some revolutionary type of romance or you take the safe and steady route you've got an equal chance of being happy...or unhappy. Satisfied or not.

The movie is really beautiful. I'd like to visit Barcelona someday and the movie made it even more desirable. Rebbeca Hall, who plays Vicky, is very good. I'd seen and been impressed with her in Starter For 10. She displays the strongest wit in the film and you really like her character. It's a pleasure to watch her character deal with feelings and events that are foreign to her.

Javier Bardem is the perfect temptation for both women. He is charming and intelligent, but also a bit wounded (via his crazy ex-wife played by Penelope Cruz). He is that artistic boy from college (mostly) grown up. You never get the sense that he is using either woman. Rather, like Cristina, he may not really know what he wants.

Scarlett Johansson almost makes up for The Island and The Black Dahlia in her portrayal of Cristina. Cristina still seems to be clinging on to her romantic ideals of suffering for love and for art. She even admits that she has an artistic inclination without any talent. She's like the artistic girl from college who never picked a major and just sort of wanders from art form to art form. Still, I'll give Johansson credit for keeping Cristina from getting annoying. Her acting is very natural, and even though I felt like the script was poking fun at her view of life just a bit, she never went into comic relief mode.

The dialogue is fabulous. Everyone sounds smart without sounding too smart. As I mentioned before, Vicky is quite funny and dry and to some extent so is Juan. Cristina ends up in some amusing situations which also give the film some humor.

But, this isn't a true romantic comedy. I'm not even sure I would call it a romantic anything. It's a character study with some humor in it. If you're looking for something smart, full of attractive people and places, and that will generate an interesting discussion on the way home, you can't really go wrong with two girls and a city.

twiddleing my thumbs

Here's the rundown for today.

Out of the office: General Manager, Owner, Two Sales Reps, One Sales Assistant.

In the office: Financial goddess, me and the other new girl.

HOLY CRAP!! I worked on my one assignment for about an hour, but I can't go any further until I get someone who really knows something to look it over. Thankfully, it's not due until sometime tomorrow. Now I'm just trying to help the other new girl and I think I've checked my email about 4 times.

This afternoon will be an exciting hour of practicing the selection of Air Handling Units. Then, new chick and I will be entering variation claims. Thank goodness I have a chiropractor appointment this afternoon so I can leave at 4pm.

Possible Vicki Crista Barcelona tomorrow night. Perhaps I will even get the title right afterwards.

More Really Beautiful Video

Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom

Okay, I'm being bad and putting something up with about a minute of lunch break left. I just watched this and loved it...another winner in the Radiohead/aniBoom contest. This song almost makes me cry everytime I hear it.